According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.2 square miles (73 km2), of which 27.5 square miles (71 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (2.62%) is water. Bridgewater is 99th out of the 351 communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and eighth out of the twenty-seven municipalities in Plymouth County in terms of land area. The town is bordered by West Bridgewater to the northwest, East Bridgewater to the northeast, Halifax to the east, Middleborough to the south, and Raynham to the west. Bridgewater is approximately 5 miles south of Brockton, 10 miles northeast of Taunton, and 25 miles south of Boston, of which it is a suburb.

Bridgewater lies along the Taunton River, which has several other rivers and brooks which branch off the main waterway. There are also several ponds, the largest of which is Lake Nippenicket along the western edge of the town. There is a state forest, a town forest, several conservation areas and a large portion of the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area, in the western part of town. Parts of this swamp give rise to the so-called Bridgewater Triangle, a small area of concentrated reports of strange Fortean phenomena, colonial "dark days", Bigfoot and mysterious black panthers, UFO sightings, and other weird encounters, a phrase coined by Loren Coleman, author of Mysterious America, often compared to the Bermuda Triangle.[3]

There were 7,526 households out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town, the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $65,318, and the median income for a family was $73,953. Males had a median income of $48,438 versus $32,383 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,105. About 1.9% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Statistically, Bridgewater is the 71st largest town in the Commonwealth by population, and 110th by population density. In the county, Bridgewater ranks third in population and seventh in density.

Also, for most of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s, Bridgewater's economy was largely dependent on the factories located within the town. Bridgewater is renowned and known for its iron works factories. One of which is appropriately named Bridgewater Iron Works, and is a registered historical site in Massachusetts. The majority of the Iron Works factory was torn down in 1994 and turned into a park, which is named Ironworks Park. Still, to this day, Bridgewater has numerous iron works companies still in business, namely Ashmont Iron Works, and Superior Nail & Iron. The town also had multiple paper mills, saw mills, and a boot & shoe factory. The old boot & shoe factory still stands today off Broad St. adjacent to the MBTA Commuter Train rail tracks and the Burger King. Although the factory no longer manufactures shoes, it still houses numerous businesses and storage units to this day.[15]

Bridgewater was formerly governed on the local level by the open town meeting form of government, led by a Board of Selectmen until January 2011. Bridgewater is now led by seven Precinct Councilors, 1 per precinct, and two "at-large councilors", with an appointed Town Manager, Assessor, Tax Collector, for a total of nine Councilors.[16] Bridgewater is one of thirteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain "The town of” in their official names.[17] This is from the majority 'Yes' vote on Question #1 at the April 24, 2010 annual town election, to change from a five-person, elected Board of Selectmen to a nine-person, elected Town Council, and thus abolishing the Annual Town Meeting, which was held in 2010 after generations.[16][18] Town facilities are located at the center of town, with the Police Department headquarters being just west of the Square along Mass. Route 104. There are two fire departments in town, one next to the College and the other in the eastern part of town, directly behind the Town Hall. There is one U.S. Post Office branch, located just north of the town center along Mass. Route 18.

Bridgewater public library

The Bridgewater Public Library is just north of the town center, and is a part of the Southeastern Area Internet Library Services ("SAILS") network.[19][20]

Bridgewater shares its school district with neighboring Raynham, with both towns operating their own elementary and middle schools, and sending their students to a common high school. Bridgewater has one elementary school, George H. Mitchell Elementary School (south and west of the town center - formerly known as Bridgewater Elementary), which serves students from kindergarten through grade three. All the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders attend M.G. Williams Intermediate School, while seventh and eighth graders attend Bridgewater Middle School. The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School is located in Bridgewater, west of the town center. B-R's athletics teams are nicknamed the "Trojans", and their colors are red and white. The athletic teams of the Bridgewater Middle School use the "Spartans" nickname.

In 2015, during February vacation, the roof of the Mitchell Elementary school collapsed due to heavy snow.[28] The students at the elementary school were moved to Bridgewater Middle School, and the students at the middle school were split between the Williams Intermediate School and Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School.[29]

Bridgewater was formerly home to two private schools which served students from preschool (Joyful Learning) and kindergarten through sixth grade (Southbrook Academy) until their closings after the 2012-2013 school year. There are also private schools in nearby Taunton and Brockton.

Bridgewater Academy building. Built 1868.

Bridgewater was formerly the site of the well-known, influential Bridgewater Academy, a private high school formerly located on the "Town Common" (park). It was attended by many leading young men of the area in the early and mid 19th Century, including a well-known Massachusetts-born merchant/philanthropist Enoch Pratt (1808-1896), in the late 1830s, who endowed the Public Library in his hometown of North Middleborough and also set up the world-famous Enoch Pratt Free Library, one of the first free public library systems in America.

Bridgewater is the site of the intersection of Interstate 495 and Mass. Route 24, with only a one-mile stretch of the interstate highway running through the southwestern corner of the Town. Just north of this intersection along Mass. Route 24 are two large service areas, both of which have restaurants and a gas station. They are the only two such full service areas along Mass. Route 24, or, for that matter, anywhere along the highways of Southeastern Massachusetts (aside from a stop along U.S. Route 6 in Barnstable; that stop, however, is considered to be off the highway). At the center of town, Mass. Route 18, Mass. Route 28 and Mass. Route 104 meet at the Town Common. Mass. Routes 18 and 28, both north-south routes, are coextensive from this point south to the road's intersection with U.S. Route 44 in Middleborough. Mass. Route 104 passes from east to west, with ramp access to Mass. Route 24 in the west. A short portion of Mass. Route 106 passes along the town line in the northeast of town; Mass. Route 104 's eastern terminus is at that route, just along the East Bridgewater line.

^"1920 Census of Population"(PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.

^"1890 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. Retrieved July 12, 2011.

1.
Massachusetts
–
It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west. The state is named for the Massachusett tribe, which inhabited the area. The capital of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England is Boston, over 80% of Massachusetts population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, a region influential upon American history, academia, and industry. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing and trade, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution, during the 20th century, Massachusetts economy shifted from manufacturing to services. Modern Massachusetts is a leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance. Plymouth was the site of the first colony in New England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, in 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of Americas most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials. In 1777, General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory, which during the Industrial Revolution catalyzed numerous important technological advances, in 1786, Shays Rebellion, a populist revolt led by disaffected American Revolutionary War veterans, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention. In the 18th century, the Protestant First Great Awakening, which swept the Atlantic World, in the late 18th century, Boston became known as the Cradle of Liberty for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution. The entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts has played a commercial and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the abolitionist, temperance, in the late 19th century, the sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively. Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the state, including the Adams, both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge, have been ranked among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world. Massachusetts public school students place among the top nations in the world in academic performance, the official name of the state is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While this designation is part of the official name, it has no practical implications. Massachusetts has the position and powers within the United States as other states. Massachusetts was originally inhabited by tribes of the Algonquian language family such as the Wampanoag, Narragansett, Nipmuc, Pocomtuc, Mahican, and Massachusett. While cultivation of crops like squash and corn supplemented their diets, villages consisted of lodges called wigwams as well as longhouses, and tribes were led by male or female elders known as sachems. Between 1617 and 1619, smallpox killed approximately 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Native Americans, the first English settlers in Massachusetts, the Pilgrims, arrived via the Mayflower at Plymouth in 1620, and developed friendly relations with the native Wampanoag people. This was the second successful permanent English colony in the part of North America that later became the United States, the event known as the First Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World which lasted for three days

2.
City
–
A city is a large and permanent human settlement. Cities generally have complex systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing, a big city or metropolis usually has associated suburbs and exurbs. Such cities are associated with metropolitan areas and urban areas. Once a city expands far enough to another city, this region can be deemed a conurbation or megalopolis. Damascus is arguably the oldest city in the world, in terms of population, the largest city proper is Shanghai, while the fastest-growing is Dubai. There is not enough evidence to assert what conditions gave rise to the first cities, some theorists have speculated on what they consider suitable pre-conditions and basic mechanisms that might have been important driving forces. The conventional view holds that cities first formed after the Neolithic revolution, the Neolithic revolution brought agriculture, which made denser human populations possible, thereby supporting city development. The advent of farming encouraged hunter-gatherers to abandon nomadic lifestyles and to settle near others who lived by agricultural production, the increased population density encouraged by farming and the increased output of food per unit of land created conditions that seem more suitable for city-like activities. In his book, Cities and Economic Development, Paul Bairoch takes up position in his argument that agricultural activity appears necessary before true cities can form. According to Vere Gordon Childe, for a settlement to qualify as a city, it must have enough surplus of raw materials to support trade and a relatively large population. To illustrate this point, Bairoch offers an example, Western Europe during the pre-Neolithic, when the cost of transport is taken into account, the figure rises to 200,000 square kilometres. Bairoch noted that this is roughly the size of Great Britain, the urban theorist Jane Jacobs suggests that city formation preceded the birth of agriculture, but this view is not widely accepted. In his book City Economics, Brendan OFlaherty asserts Cities could persist—as they have for thousands of years—only if their advantages offset the disadvantages, OFlaherty illustrates two similar attracting advantages known as increasing returns to scale and economies of scale, which are concepts usually associated with businesses. Their applications are seen in more basic economic systems as well, increasing returns to scale occurs when doubling all inputs more than doubles the output an activity has economies of scale if doubling output less than doubles cost. To offer an example of these concepts, OFlaherty makes use of one of the oldest reasons why cities were built, in this example, the inputs are anything that would be used for protection and the output is the area protected and everything of value contained in it. OFlaherty then asks that we suppose the protected area is square, the advantage is expressed as, O = s 2, where O is the output and s stands for the length of a side. This equation shows that output is proportional to the square of the length of a side, the inputs depend on the length of the perimeter, I =4 s, where I stands for the quantity of inputs. So there are increasing returns to scale, O = I2 /16 and this equation shows that with twice the inputs, you produce quadruple the output

3.
Boston
–
Boston is the capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Boston is also the seat of Suffolk County, although the county government was disbanded on July 1,1999. The city proper covers 48 square miles with a population of 667,137 in 2015, making it the largest city in New England. Alternately, as a Combined Statistical Area, this wider commuting region is home to some 8.1 million people, One of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England. It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. Upon U. S. independence from Great Britain, it continued to be an important port and manufacturing hub as well as a center for education, through land reclamation and municipal annexation, Boston has expanded beyond the original peninsula. Its rich history attracts many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing over 20 million visitors per year, Bostons many firsts include the United States first public school, Boston Latin School, first subway system, the Tremont Street Subway, and first public park, Boston Common. Bostons economic base also includes finance, professional and business services, biotechnology, information technology, the city has one of the highest costs of living in the United States as it has undergone gentrification, though it remains high on world livability rankings. Bostons early European settlers had first called the area Trimountaine but later renamed it Boston after Boston, Lincolnshire, England, the renaming on September 7,1630 was by Puritan colonists from England who had moved over from Charlestown earlier that year in quest of fresh water. Their settlement was limited to the Shawmut Peninsula, at that time surrounded by the Massachusetts Bay and Charles River. The peninsula is thought to have been inhabited as early as 5000 BC, in 1629, the Massachusetts Bay Colonys first governor John Winthrop led the signing of the Cambridge Agreement, a key founding document of the city. Puritan ethics and their focus on education influenced its early history, over the next 130 years, the city participated in four French and Indian Wars, until the British defeated the French and their Indian allies in North America. Boston was the largest town in British America until Philadelphia grew larger in the mid-18th century, Bostons harbor activity was significantly curtailed by the Embargo Act of 1807 and the War of 1812. Foreign trade returned after these hostilities, but Bostons merchants had found alternatives for their investments in the interim. Manufacturing became an important component of the economy, and the citys industrial manufacturing overtook international trade in economic importance by the mid-19th century. Boston remained one of the nations largest manufacturing centers until the early 20th century, a network of small rivers bordering the city and connecting it to the surrounding region facilitated shipment of goods and led to a proliferation of mills and factories. Later, a network of railroads furthered the regions industry. Boston was a port of the Atlantic triangular slave trade in the New England colonies

4.
Providence, Rhode Island
–
Providence is the capital of and most populous city in the U. S. state of Rhode Island, founded in 1636, and one of the oldest cities in the United States. It is located in Providence County and is the third most populous city in New England, after Boston, Providence has a city population of 179,154, it is also part of the Providence metropolitan area which extends into southern Massachusetts. The Providence metropolitan area has an population of 1,604,291. This can be considered, in turn, to be part of the Greater Boston commuting area, Providence was founded by Roger Williams, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of Gods merciful Providence, which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him, the city is situated at the mouth of the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay. Providence was one of the first cities in the country to industrialize and became noted for its tool, jewelry. The city was nicknamed the Beehive of Industry, it began rebranding itself as the Creative Capital in 2009 to emphasize its educational resources. The area that is now Providence was first settled in June 1636 by Roger Williams and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies of the United States, Williams and his company felt compelled to withdraw from Massachusetts Bay Colony. Providence quickly became a refuge for persecuted religious dissenters, as Williams himself had been exiled from Massachusetts, Providence residents were among the first Patriots to spill blood in the leadup to the American Revolution during the Gaspée Affair of 1772. Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown on May 4,1776. It was also the last of the thirteen colonies to ratify the United States Constitution on May 29,1790, following the war, Providence was the countrys ninth-largest city with 7,614 people. The economy shifted from maritime endeavors to manufacturing, in particular machinery, tools, silverware, jewelry, by the start of the 20th century, Providence boasted some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country, including Brown & Sharpe, Nicholson File, and Gorham Silverware. Providence residents ratified a city charter in 1831 as the population passed 17,000. From its incorporation as a city in 1832 until 1878, the seat of city government was located in the Market House, located in Market Square, the city offices quickly outgrew this building, and the City Council resolved to create a permanent municipal building in 1845. The city offices moved into the City Hall in 1878, during the Civil War, local politics split over slavery as many had ties to Southern cotton. Despite ambivalence concerning the war, the number of military volunteers routinely exceeded quota, by the early 1900s, Providence was one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. Immigrant labor powered one of the nations largest industrial manufacturing centers, Providence was a major manufacturer of industrial products from steam engines to precision tools to silverware, screws, and textiles. From 1975 until 1982, $606 million of local and national Community Development funds were invested throughout the city.4 million ft² Providence Place Mall, despite new investment, poverty remains an entrenched problem as it does in most post-industrial New England cities

5.
Middleborough, Massachusetts
–
Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 23,116 at the 2010 census, for geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts. In the summer of 2007, Middleborough became the location for a controversial future resort casino, sponsored by the Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee. The town was first settled by Europeans in 1661 as Nemasket, later changed to Middlebury, the name Nemasket came from a Native American settlement along the small river that now bears the same name. Nemasket may have meant place of fish, due to the amount of herring that migrate up the river each spring. There are no records that indicate the name Middlebury was taken from a place in England. The names Middlebury and Middleborough were actually derived from the city of Middelburg, Zeeland, Middelburg was an international intellectual center and economic powerhouse. During King Philips War, the entire populace took shelter within the confines of a fort constructed along the Nemasket River. The site is located behind the old high school, and is marked by a state historical commission marker along Route 105. Western Middleborough broke away in 1853 and formed the town of Lakeville, taking with it the main access to the freshwater lakes there. Middleborough was once a large producer of shoes and is home to the Alden Shoe Company. The local Maxim Motors manufactured fire engines from 1914-1989, Middleborough has since become the cranberry capital of the world, hosting the corporate headquarters of Ocean Spray Cranberries. In recent history, Middleborough has made its mark through the prowess of its Little League Baseball program, in 1994 the Middleborough All Stars reached the Little League World Series by defeating Milburn-Short Hills, New Jersey to take the East Region title. The team would finish 3rd in the United States and they are one of only two Massachusetts Little League teams to win the East title before the splitting of the New England and Mid-Atlantic Regions in 2001. In 1999, the again won the Massachusetts State title and fell in the East Region final to Toms River. Since 2000, the team has reached the State semi-finals five times, finishing third in the state in 2000 and 2003, in 2012, they finished fourth in the state. The 2012 team was coached by Skeeter Porter and Ron Holmgren, the 2002 team was only beaten by U. S. runner-up, Jesse Burkett Little League of Worcester. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 72.2 square miles, of which 69.1 square miles is land and 3.1 square miles

6.
Raynham, Massachusetts
–
Raynham is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately 32 miles south of Boston and 22 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 13,383 at the 2010 census and it has one village, Raynham Center. The area that is now Raynham was settled in 1639 as a part of Taunton, and was founded by Elizabeth Pole, in 1652, bog iron was found along the Two Mile River. Soon after, the Taunton Iron Works was established by residents James and it was the first successful iron works established in what was then Plymouth Colony, and operated from 1656 to 1876. It was not the First Iron Works in America, as proclaimed on the Towns official seal, having been predated by the Saugus, the success of the Taunton Iron Works, however, led to the establishment of other iron works throughout the colonies. Raynham played a key part in King Philips War, the Leonards had forged a friendship before the war began with King Philip, who lived in the area. It is said that Philip agreed to spare the town from the mass destruction if the Leonards repaired his troops weapons in their iron forge. The eastern end of Taunton was separated from town and incorporated as Raynham on April 2,1731, named after the English village of Raynham in the county of Norfolk. Many ships hulls were built along the Taunton River in Raynham, the town also had other small manufacturing industries, but for the most part it was known for its rural and agrarian base. The intersection of Interstate 495 and Massachusetts Route 24, a divided highway, is located at the towns border with Bridgewater. Additionally, U. S. Route 44, Massachusetts Route 104, Route 24 has one exit which gives access to the town, Exit 13, and there is also a Raynham exit on Interstate 495, Exit 8. Raynham is one of the covered by the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority bus service. The Middleborough-Lakeville line of the MBTAs commuter rails nearest stop is in neighboring Bridgewater, Raynham is the site of a proposed commuter rail station, Raynham Place, on the Stoughton Branch option of the MBTAs South Coast Rail project. The station would be located next to the former Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park, the nearest local airport is in Taunton, commercial air service exists at Logan International Airport in Boston and at T. F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island. As of the census of 2000, there were 11,739 people,4,143 households, the population density was 572.7 people per square mile. There were 4,209 housing units at a density of 205.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 96. 54% White,1. 04% African American,0. 06% Native American,0. 69% Asian,0. 03% Pacific Islander,0. 71% from other races, and 0. 94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 83% of the population,17. 9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8. 5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older

7.
Brockton, Massachusetts
–
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, the population was 95,314 in the 2015 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County, two of the villages within the city are Montello and Campello, both have the distinction of having their own MBTA Commuter Rail Stations and post offices. Campello is the smallest neighborhood in the city, but also the most populous, Brockton hosts a baseball team, the Brockton Rox. Brockton is one of the windiest cities in the United States, in 1649, Ousamequin sold the surrounding land, then known as Saughtucket, to Myles Standish as an addition to Duxbury. Brockton was part of area, which the English renamed Bridgewater, until 1821. Its name changed in 1874, after a process finally decided on naming it after Isaac Brock, after a local merchant heard of Brockville, Ontario. Brockton became a city on April 9,1881, during the American Civil War, Brockton was Americas largest producer of shoes, and until the latter parts of the 20th century Brockton had a large shoe and leather products industry. World firsts On October 1,1883, Brockton became the first place in the world to have an underground electrical system when Thomas Edison threw a switch to activate it. The City Theater opened on October 24,1894, the first theater in the world to be tied into the electrical system. US firsts On December 30,1884, the first electrically operated fire station in the United States opened in Brockton, the department store Santa Claus appeared in Brockton in December 1890, when James Edgar, of Edgars Department Store, suited up for the first time. Brockton became the first city in the country to abolish grade crossings in 1896, world Records On November 23,2010, Brockton set the world record for the most Santa Hat wearers in one place at one time with 872 people participating in the event. On November 20,2011 Brockton doubled the citys Santa Claus hat-wearing record with 1792 people in downtown Brockton wearing hats. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 21.6 square miles. Brockton is the 162nd largest city by area in the Commonwealth. Brockton is approximately 25 miles south of Boston, and 30 miles northeast of Providence, Brockton is mostly an urban setting, lying along the Salisbury Plain River, which once powered the many shoe factories of the city. To the northeast lies the Beaver Brook Conservation Land, attached to the end of the Ames Nowell State Park in Abington. There are several parks throughout the city, but the largest is D. W. Field Park, as of the census of 2010, there were 93,810 people,35,552 households, and 22,764 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,398.4 people per square mile, there were 34,837 housing units at an average density of 1,622.8 per square mile

8.
Taunton, Massachusetts
–
It is the seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay,10 miles to the south, at the 2010 census, the city had a population of 55,874. The current mayor is Thomas Hoye, Jr, founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony, Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States. The Native Americans called the region Cohannet, Tetiquet and Titicut before the arrival of the Europeans. Taunton is also known as the Silver City, as it was a center of the silver industry beginning in the 19th century when companies such as Reed & Barton. Rogers, Poole Silver, and others produced fine-quality silver goods in the city, since December 1914, the city of Taunton has provided a large annual light display each December on Taunton Green, giving it the additional nickname of Christmas City. The original boundaries of Taunton included the now occupied by many surrounding towns, including Norton, Easton, Mansfield, Dighton, Raynham, Berkley. Possession of the latter is noted by the naming of Taunton Hill in Assonet. Taunton was founded by settlers from England and officially incorporated as a town on September 3,1639, most of the towns settlers were originally from Taunton in Somerset, England, which led early settlers to name the settlement after that town. At the time of Tauntons incorporation, they explained their choice of name as being, in honour, prior to 1640, the Taunton area was called Cohannet, Tetiquet or Titiquet. Plymouth Colony was formally divided into counties on June 2,1685, the counties of Plymouth Colony were transferred to the Province of Massachusetts Bay on the arrival of its charter and governor on May 14,1692. The Taunton area has been the site of skirmishes and battles during various conflicts, including King Philips War, Taunton was re-incorporated as a city on May 11,1864. In 1656, the first successful iron works in Plymouth Colony was established on the Two Mile River, the Taunton Iron Works operated for over 200 years until 1876. It was the first of many industries in Taunton. During the 19th century, Taunton became known as the Silver City, as it was home to many silversmithing operations, including Reed & Barton, F. B. In the 19th century, Taunton was also the center of an important iron-making industry, the iron industry in Taunton produced a variety of goods including stoves, tacks and machinery. One of the more successful companies during this period was the Mason Machine Works, founded by William Mason, the Taunton Locomotive Works also operated in the city during this time. Taunton was also home to textile mills and other industries, such as felt

9.
Unidentified flying object
–
An unidentified flying object, or UFO, in its most general definition, is any apparent anomaly in the sky that is not identifiable as a known object or phenomenon. Culturally, UFOs are associated with claims of visitation by extraterrestrial life or government-related conspiracy theories, UFOs are often identified after their sighting. Sometimes, however, UFOs cannot be identified because of the low quality of evidence related to their sightings, during the late 1940s and through the 1950s, UFOs were often referred to popularly as flying saucers or flying discs. The term UFO became more widespread during the 1950s, at first in technical literature, UFOs garnered considerable interest during the Cold War, an era associated with a heightened concern for national security. Various studies have concluded that the phenomenon does not represent a threat to national security nor does it contain anything worthy of scientific pursuit, the Oxford English Dictionary defines a UFO as An unidentified flying object, a flying saucer. The first published book to use the word was authored by Donald E. Keyhoe, the acronym UFO was coined by Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, who headed Project Blue Book, then the USAFs official investigation of UFOs. He wrote, Obviously the term flying saucer is misleading when applied to objects of every conceivable shape, for this reason the military prefers the more general, if less colorful, name, unidentified flying objects. Other phrases that were used officially and that predate the UFO acronym include flying flapjack, flying disc, unexplained flying discs, unidentifiable object, the phrase flying saucer had gained widespread attention after the summer of 1947. On June 24, a pilot named Kenneth Arnold reported seeing nine objects flying in formation near Mount Rainier. Arnold timed the sighting and estimated the speed of discs to be over 1,200 mph, at the time, he claimed he described the objects flying in a saucer-like fashion, leading to newspaper accounts of flying saucers and flying discs. In popular usage, the term UFO came to be used to refer to claims of alien spacecraft, between 5% and 20% of reported sightings are not explained, and therefore can be classified as unidentified in the strictest sense. The term Ufology is used to describe the efforts of those who study reports. UFOs have become a prevalent theme in culture, and the social phenomena have been the subject of academic research in sociology and psychology. Unexplained aerial observations have been reported throughout history, an example is Halleys Comet, which was recorded first by Chinese astronomers in 240 BC and possibly as early as 467 BC. Such sightings throughout history often were treated as supernatural portents, angels, or other religious omens. On January 25,1878, the Denison Daily News printed an article in which John Martin, Martin, according to the newspaper account, said it appeared to be about the size of a saucer, the first known use of the word saucer in association with a UFO. In April 1897, thousands of people reported seeing airships in various parts of the United States, scores of people even reported talking to the pilots. Thomas Edison was asked his opinion, and said, You can take it from me that it is a pure fake, the largest had an apparent size of about six Suns, he said

10.
Bigfoot
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Bigfoot is a simian-like creature of American folklore that is said to inhabit forests, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid, the term sasquatch is an Anglicized derivative of the Halkomelem word sásqets. Scientists discount the existence of Bigfoot and consider it to be a combination of folklore, misidentification, occasional new reports of sightings sustain a small group of self-described investigators. Many reports of sightings are attributed to being various animals, particularly black bears, individuals claiming to have seen Bigfoot describe it as a large, hairy, muscular, bipedal ape-like creature, roughly 2–3 metres covered in hair described as black, dark brown, or dark reddish. Some descriptions include details such as eyes, a pronounced brow ridge. The top of the head has been described as rounded and crested, the creature has been reported as having a strong, unpleasant smell. The enormous footprints for which the creature is named are claimed to be as large as 24 inches long and 8 inches wide. Some footprint casts have also contained claw marks, making it likely that they came from animals, such as bears. Proponents of Bigfoots existence claim that the creature is omnivorous and mainly nocturnal, wild men stories are found among the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Ecologist Robert Pyle argues that most cultures have human-like giants in their folk history, each language had its own name for the creature featured in the local version of such legends. Many names meant something along the lines of wild man or hairy man, although other names described common actions it was said to perform, such as eating clams or shaking trees. A story told to Charles Hill-Tout by Chief Mischelle of the Nlakapamux at Lytton, British Columbia in 1898 gives another Salishan variant of the name, members of the Lummi tell tales about Tsemekwes, the local version of Bigfoot. The stories are similar to other in the general descriptions of Tsemekwes. Some regional versions contained more nefarious creatures, the stiyaha or kwi-kwiyai were a nocturnal race that children were told not to say the names of lest the monsters hear and come to carry off a person—sometimes to be killed. In 1847, Paul Kane reported stories by the people about skoocooms. Less-menacing versions exist, such as the one recorded by Reverend Elkanah Walker, in 1840, Walker, a Protestant missionary, recorded stories of giants among the Native Americans living near present-day Spokane, Washington. The Indians said that these giants lived on and around the peaks of nearby mountains, local stories were compiled by Indian Agent J. W. Burns in a series of Canadian newspaper articles in the 1920s recounting stories told to him by the StsAiles people of Chehalis and others. The StsAiles maintain, as do other indigenous peoples of the region, according to StsAiles eyewitness accounts, the Sasquatch prefer to avoid white men, and speak the Lillooet language of the people at Port Douglas, British Columbia at the head of Harrison Lake

People gathering in Waterplace Park, opened in 1994, just before a WaterFire event. On the left can be seen the Waterplace condominiums, constructed in 2008. The entire area had been covered in railroad tracks, and the river was covered with paved bridges until the late 1980s.

The Eleventh United States Census was taken beginning June 2, 1890. It determined the resident population of the United …

1890 Census form

The Hollerith tabulator was used to tabulate the 1890 census—the first time a census was tabulated by machine. The illustration is of a Hollerith tabulator that has been modified for the first 1890 tabulation, the family, or rough, count -- the punched card reader has been removed, replaced by a simple keyboard. See: Truesdell, 1965, The Development of Punched Card Tabulation ..., US GPO, p.61